The Truth About Creatine Supplements

Tag : creatine phosphate

If you haven't heard about creatine supplements yet, then you soonwill. It is being widely touted as a performance enhancer, andthere is actual scientific evidence to support the claim. However,many claims have outpaced (and ignored) the science, so athletesfrom different sports are taking this substance willy-nilly. Suchfaddish use of substances can be harmful. Creatine supplements mayoffer short-term, and limited, benefits, but its long-term effectshave yet to be discovered.

Muscle cells generate work from a chemical reaction that“liberates” energy into the tissues. In this reaction,ATP (adenosine triphosphate) splits into ADP (adenosinediphosphate) and P (phosphate). The muscles use up the ATP quickly,as there is a limited supply enough for but a few seconds ofhigh-intensity exertion. When the ATP is exhausted, work will stop.

Fortunately for us, our bodies have other ways of converting ADPback into ATP. The fastest method is to somehow “move”the phosphate group off of phosphocreatine and onto ADP, whichyields ATP. Once created, it is available right away for additionalmuscular work. This process also yields creatine, meaning there isenough phosphocreatine to keep ATP levels elevated for another fewseconds. This cycle helps our muscles get from a few seconds ofintense work with ATP to almost 10 seconds with ATP plus creatine.

The ATP-plus-creatine process is the fastest one involved in theanaerobic system, and is the most popular with “power”athletes. Football, where five or 10 seconds of all-out force maybe followed by 45 seconds of huddling and standing, is a goodexample of the application environment for these “powerprocesses.”

State of the research today

Creatine is being investigated for its possible role in treatingneuromuscular conditions like arthritis, muscular dystrophy,Huntington’s disease and even congestive heart failure. Somestudies are already finding that creatine may extend the lifespanof laboratory animals (mice) that have been forcibly givenAlzheimer’s. Research continues, and it is important to stayup on the science by consulting the scientific sources, not thepress releases of the supplement manufacturers.

Since, unlike steroids or other performance-enhancing drugs,creatine occurs naturally in many foods, it cannot, therefore, bebanned from any sporting competitions. Such foods as herring, tuna,salmon and beef contain various levels of creatine. Of course, thevery best source of creatine is creatine monohydrate, whichcontains a higher proportion of creatine by weight than any othersubstance.

There is much to learn even now, and more in the future, about howthis substance works and how the process can be optimized. Wealready know that creatine can dramatically increase muscle mass inas short a time as two or three weeks. Its role in improvingperformance of high-intensity exercise, increasing energy levelsand speeding the recovery rates from injuries is already wellestablished. Its ability to increase energy reserves in musclescomes from its ability to synthesize muscle proteins whileminimizing protein breakdown. With what is already known, it willbe quite surprising if most athletes do not begin using thisamazing substance.

Unexpected properties and results

Many studies have been done on creatine, and many more are ongoing,to establish with scientific precision just how and why it works sovery well. The clinical literature indicates that over twentydouble-blind, placebo-controlled studies have been conducted oncreatine in the past five years. There is substantial evidence,available in a single Google search, to establish that creatineincreases energy and endurance levels, muscle strength and injuryrecovery rates.

Several unexpected results have cropped up in the recent research,suggesting that the use of creatine might be expanded into otherparts of the population, where it can also do some good. Severalstudies have shown that creatine works in some yet-unknown fashionto cause fat loss. Combined with its potential to increase leanmuscle mass, creatine may end up as an effective component of aweight-loss program, one that involves not just dietary controlsbut exercise and “whole body” conditioning.

Creatine use has proved beneficial for all types and varieties ofathletes. The benefits of creatine are available without seriousside effects or the potential of negatively affecting your health,as with steroids or drugs. Creatine can increase muscle strength,energy, stamina and endurance, and help build and maintains leanmuscle mass. Athletes have nothing to lose and much to gain byadding it to their diet, after discussing it with their physiciansand trainers.

Who should use it?

While its application for athletic activities, both aerobic andanaerobic, has been fairly well established, creatine is not yetsomething that everyone should just start tossing into theirmorning protein shakes. If you are not burning up large amounts ofenergy in high-intensity, explosive athletic performance, youprobably don’t need it. But the research that showscreatine’s role in the elimination of fatty tissue suggeststhat the day may come, and soon, when this remarkable substancewill become part of a nutrition-and-exercise weight loss plan. Thenit may be safe to say, “Creatine is good for everybody.”

For now, exercise caution, do your homework and don’t takecreatine unless you are a serious athlete in good physicalcondition. Discuss it with your doctor and trainer, try it out andsee what it does for you. It could be just what you need to put youover the top in your training program.
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